Segments in this Video

Introduction: Our Genes Under Influence(01:44)

DNA is passed from parents to children. Identical twins have the same genome, but are physically different. Scientists are becoming more aware of the environmental impact on cells. (Credits)

Domestic Bee Colony(05:26)

Scientists study the activity of bees to better understand genetics. The queen and the rest of the hive eat different diets from one another after leaving the larval stage. Sequencing of the human genome sheds light on why the bees’ diet fundamentally changes them.

Modern Genetics (04:52)

Scientists have not completely deciphered the entire human genome. Epigenetics is a field that explores the influences of DNA expression. Australian scientists are seeking to understand bees and have discovered there is no difference from the genome of worker bees compared to queens.

Epigenetic Mechanism(04:36)

Cells found in all parts of the human body have the same DNA genome, but each part functions and looks differently. Jonathan Weitzman is studying identity in cells; he explains that the genome does not change during the differentiation process but will change how it is used.

Gene Expression (07:37)

The same genetic patrician can have several genetic interpretations, as with the case of identical twins whose genome is interpreted differently. Lifestyle has an impact on DNA making twins look less alike over time; studies of identical twins are also crucial in the field of cancer research.

Cancer Research(10:10)

Cells are renewed by division; researchers are trying to understand what happens when cells lose their epigenetic memories. Cancer caused by these epigenetic rather than genetic changes could possibly be reversed when treated with targeted drugs; researchers are also trying to understand if genetics are impacted by environmental factors.

Non-Genetic Anomalies (06:57)

Scientists are facing an unknown when considering the part environment plays in how genes function when passed down through generations. Microbiology specialist Michael Skinner believes the environment leaves lasting effects on an organism traceable through epigenetics. Isabelle Mansuy seeks to confirm whether or not stress is biologically transmissible.

Genetic Editing (08:30)

Many epigenetic marks are erased by the time sperm meets egg, allowing a reboot for the next generation. Wolf Reik and his team of researchers at Cambridge study incomplete erasion. Another team seeks to understand if food is capable of marking DNA and if these marks are passed down.

Description

How can twins with the same DNA be physically different? Biology is undergoing a revolution called "epigenetics", which is radically changing our conception of genetic inheritance. Our DNA can be influenced by external factors that turn our genes on or off! The changes provoked are fascinating and reversible: we now hold the key to our own destiny.